Marine merry-go-round



(No Model) I 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. A. R. NEWTON 8v J. O. BELL.

MARINE MERRY-GO-ROUND- I No.578,354. PatentedMar.9,1897.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets- Sheet 2.

A. R. NEWTONXv J. 0. BELL. MARINE MERRY-GO-ROUND.

No. 578,354. Patented Mar. 9, 1897.

Wfinesses: Invenifiom:

' M /JHM EWZ M M UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ARTHUR R. NEIVTON AND JOHN C.

BELL, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI.

MARINE MERRY-GO-ROUND.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent N 0. 578,354, dated March 9,1897. Application filed June 15, 1896. Serial No. 595,657. (No model.)

1'0 all whom it may concern/.-

Be it known that we, ARTHUR R. NEWTON and JOHN G. BELL, of Kansas City,Jackson county, Missouri, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Marine Merry- Go-Rounds, of which the following is afull, clear, and exact description, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, forming a part thereof.

Our invention relates to amusement devices, or more particularly to whatwe shall hereinafter term a marine merry-go-round.

Our invention essentially consists, in combination with boats, of aseries of rollers or in clined planes arranged at different altitudesbelow the surface of the water, whereby the boats or vessels may becaused to plunge, rock, and toss in a very natural and lifelike mannerupon said waters, thereby producing a sensation novel and pleasing inits effect to those who have been accustomed to watertravel and to thoseto whom such travel is unknown.

The object of the invention is to produce a marine merrygo-round of thecharacter described which is simple, strong, durable, and comparativelyinexpensive of construction, and perfectly safe and reliable.

To this end the invention further consists in certain novel and peculiarfeatures of construction and combinations of parts, as will behereinafter described and claimed.

In order that the invention may be fully understood, we will proceed todescribe it with reference to the said accompanying drawings, in whichFigure 1 representsa plan view of a marine merry-go-round embodying ourinvention. Fig. 2 represents a vertical section of the same, taken onthe line II II of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 represents a view illustrating moreclearly the construction of the boats or vessels forming a part of themerry-go-round and also illustrating our preferred arrangement of themeans for causing said boats or vessels to plunge in a very lifelike andnatural manner. Fig. 4 represents a cross-section of one of said boatsin the act of passing over one of the rollers for inducing the boat topitch and toss upon the waters.

Referring to the drawings in detail,wherein similar numerals refer tocorresponding parts, 1 designates a supporting wall or foundation, and 2a circular track therefor.

3 designates a circular platform provided with brackets 4 at its underside carrying grooved rollers 5, which rest upon the circular track 2.Said platform is mounted upon or otherwise rigidly connected to thevertical shaft 6, journaled at its lowerend below said platform in abearing 7 and at its upper end in a bearing 8, which may be carried by aframework, such as at 9, or of any other suitable or preferredconstruction. In this instance the framework comprises a pair ofcross-bars which are supported at their outer ends by means of standardsor posts 10. The large gear-wheel 11 is mounted rigidly upon the shaft 6at any suitable point and is engaged bya gear-pinion 12, mounted upon ashaft 13, journaled in bearing-brackets 14, depending from the framework9, or otherwise suitably supported. At its outer end the shaft 13carries a belt-pulley 15, which is connected to an engine or othersuitable Inotive power (not shown) by means of a belt 16, or the shaft15 may be driven in any other suitable manner. Surrounding the wall 1 isa circular canal or waterway 17, the uppersurface of which is just belowthe plane of the platform 3, and resting upon said water are a number ofboats or vessels 18, arranged, preferably, as shown. Said boats willpreferably be constructed in various forms-for instance, may simulatethe appearance of dragons, animals, and fantastic shapes or forms ingeneral, and may be painted, gilded, and ornamentally decorated so as topresent as pleasing and attractive an appearance as possible.

When traveling through the water and plunging and rolling during suchprogress in a manner to be presently explained, the boats representingsuch animals, 850. will appear very lifelike, particularly to children.Each boat will preferably be provided with an awning 19, so as toprotect the occupants from the sun, or a framework 9 may be employed tosupport a single large awning (not shown) which will cover all of thesaid boats and the central platform, upon which persons who do not careto ride in the boats and very small children may be seated. Each boat isjournaled upon a cross-brace 20, and the inner end of said brace ishinged, as at 21, to operate in a vertical plane to a link 22, which ishinged in turn at its inner end, as at 23, to an arm 24, bolted rigidlyor otherwise secured to the under side of the platform 3. A suitabledistance from the outer end of said link it is formed with a flange 25,provided at each side with a pair of eyes 26, to which are attachedpivotally the divergently-extending brace-rods 27, attached at theiropposite ends, as at 28, to the boat and the platform. By this method ofbracing the boat is held positively and reliably to the platform, sothat it cannot possibly upset, and yet is permitted to pitch and tossand rock upon the Water without any accompanying jar or shock to itsoccupants.

In order that the boat may be caused to rise and fall and to rock,supports 29 are secured at intervals a suitable distance below thesurface of the water. Said supports may be in the form of arches, asshown, or of any other suitable or preferred construction, and mountedupon each of them is one or more antifriction-rollers 30, saidantifriction-rollers being preferably arranged in different horizontalplanes, the last being above the plane of the bottom of the boat when inits normal position, and the highest being adjacent to the surface ofthe water, preferably. By this arrangement it is obvious as the roundedor beveled part of the boat or vessel comes in contact with said rollersit will rise in a Very natural manner over them and pitch forward, afterits center of gravity has passed the uppermost roller, in the manner ofa vessel descending into a trough of the sea after riding on the crestof a wave. The depth to which the boat is submerged will of coursedepend upon the load it carries, or, in other words, upon the number ofpersons in the boat, and consequently the number of anti.- frictionrollers or stops which each boat takes as it rises over said arches willdepend upon the depth to which it is submerged.

In order to cause the boat to rock laterally each time it passes overone of said arches, we preferably secure at its inner side and front endthe longitudinal]y-extending strip 31, having its ends rounded orbeveled, so that it will ride easily and smoothly upon the rollers as.they are successively presented, and consequently the boatwill betilted upwardly at its inner side, as illustrated in Fig. 4:. In orderto tilt the boat inwardly or upwardly at its outer side, similar strips32 are secured to the bottom of the boat at its outer side and near itsrear end, as shown most clearly in Fig. 3. Thus it will be seen thesestrips alternately engage the rollers as the boats travel round andround, and consequently keep the boats rocking from side to side.

\Vith each plunge of the boats forward there will be an accompaniment inthe form of screams or shrieks from the oecupants-that is, from theladies and children thereinand this will naturally attract the attentionof persons in the vicinity and perhaps induce them, after watching theoperation, to take a ride themselves.

It is obvious from the foregoing that the novelty of a marinemerry-go-round of this description will not wear off and that it will bea decided improvement over the customary merry-go-round and willincrease manyfold the pleasure of children visiting the parks or otherplaces where such device or devices are located and will afford, byreason of the splashing of the water and rolling and tossing of theboats, a cool and enjoyable ride.

From the above description it is obvious that we have produced a marinemerry-goround which embodies the desirable features enumerated in thestatement of invention.

It is to be understood, of course, that changes in the form, detailconstruction, and arrangement in the motive power may be made andmechanical equivalents substituted without departing from the spirit andscope or sacrificing any of the advantages of our invention.

Having thus described the invention, What we claim as new, and desire tosecure by Let-- ters Patent, is

1. The combination with a canal or waterway, and a series ofantifriction-rollers arranged in different horizontal planes below thesurface of the water, of boats traveling upon said canal or Waterway andprovided at the front and inner margins of their bottoms with strips toinduce the boats to roll in one direction, and with similar strips at"the rear and outer margins of the bottoms to induce them to roll in theopposite direction, substantially as described.

2. The combination with. a rotary platform, and a circular surroundingcanal or waterway, of boats upon said waterway, transverse rodsjournaled upon said boats at their middle, links hinged at their outerends to said rods and at their inner ends to said platform, brace-rodsalso hinged to said links and to said boats and platform, andantifrictionrollers arranged in the path of said boats and submerged inthe canal or waterway, substantially as described.

3. The combination with a rotary platform, and a circular surroundingcanal or waterway, of boats upon such waterway, transverse rodsjournaled upon said boats at their middle, links hinged at their outerends to said rods and at their inner ends to said platform, brace-rodsalso hinged to said links and to said boats and platform,antifriction-rollers arranged in the path of said boats and submerged inthe canal or waterway, and strips secured to the front and inner, andrear and outer margins of the bottom of each boat, substantially asshown and described.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures in presence of twowitnesses.

ARTHUR R. NEWTON. JOHN C. BELL. \Vitnesses:

G. Y. THORPE, M. R. REMLEY.

